Peoria Heights High School hosts football seminar called Moms 101

PEORIA HEIGHTS — Sunday is normally the day Michelle Marfell catches up on housework and prepares for another week of dealing with her sons’ school and sports.

But on this Sunday, she was one of more than 50 women involved in Moms 101, hosted by Peoria Heights football coach Jon Adkins and sponsored by Midwest Orthopedic and the Peoria Heights Booster Club. And that meant being on the field.

“I learned about the positions they play,” Marfell, the Peoria Heights Booster Club president, said of her three sons. “They can try to tell me all day where they play but being able to see it really helped me.”

The first part of the event was held in the Peoria Heights Grade School cafeteria then shifted to the high school football field where moms — and even grandmas — got a small taste of what their sons go through.

The field had a quarterback station, a field goal kicking station, a station to tackle dummies and a blocking station. Many stepped up and booted through 13-yard field goals with plenty of room to spare.

Adkins got help on the field from assistant coaches, former and current players and former Peoria Heights and Northwestern player Ron Foster, the Peoria Heights JFL director.

Safety was emphasized during the indoor portion with Adkins passing around new football gear, including helmets and padding.

“I want to make sure you know that when your son straps it up on a Friday night, he’s safe,” Adkins told the moms.

Former Illinois all-American offensive lineman Tim Simpson, an East Peoria graduate, spoke to the moms about how the benefits of football can carry over to other aspects of life. He focused on commitment, teamwork, leadership, respect and relationships.

“I think about all these things and the way they carry over to life,” he told them.

He also talked about adversity and told of having to come to the sideline to face Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher after his penalty moved the Steelers out of field goal range.

“He’s got spit flying out and I want to run to the other sideline,” said Simpson, who now works at Caterpillar and is a father of four.

Simpson was raised by his mom, Mary Ann, and knows the importance of mothers not only being involved in their son’s sport but understanding it also.

“My mom knew everything, offense, defense, even special teams,” Simpson said. “I think this was really cool. There are a lot of moms out there wondering what their kids are doing and wanting to talk to them about it. I see a lot of moms here with an opportunity to get more educated.”

Adkins not only had a lot of his players’ moms out here, but his son made his football debut, long before many sons do. Adkins’ wife, Kelly, is expecting their fist child — a boy — Aug. 2 and was on the field, doing as much as she could.

“I loved it,” said Kelly Adkins, a Peoria Heights English teacher, who said she knew nothing about the game before dating her husband. “I would love to know more about what he talks about all day.

“This is important because when moms learn about football, their sons can talk to them about it and come to them with questions.”

Her husband told her he’d be happy even if only 10 moms came to the event.

“This is such a supportive community, it’s tight knit, I knew a lot would get involved,” Kelly said.

Lynn Ahart is a 60-year-old grandmother from Washington, but it was no surprise to see her throwing a football or on top of a tackling dummy because she’s been around the game much of her life. She has eight grandsons.

Her son, Chris, is on the Peoria Heights school board and is a former player for Eureka College. Her late husband, Gary, played football at East Peoria High School.

“Football has been a big part of my life,” said Ahart, who had two other female family members participating. “When I heard about this, it was absolutely, I’m going to go.”

She had actually gone through a moms program hosted by former Washington High School coach John Venturi.

“But we didn’t go out on the field in that one,” Ahart said. “I thought this was awesome to be out here. I think that any part of football that moms can learn can help, and this was a good way for moms to meet other parents.”

Foster saw a television clip about the Carolina Panthers offering a course for moms and brought it up at a JFL board meeting. Coach Adkins was part of one at Eastern Illinois.

Adkins explained positions and rules and showed a basic pro-style offense in the I formation and a standard 4-3 defense. His presentation was as simple as a team has four tries to go 10 yards for a first down and expanded to the difference between a free and strong safety, and even some blocking schemes.

“I wanted to provide information for the moms,” Adkins said. “One of the things I wanted to do was stress that it was OK for their little boy to play football.”

Adkins and Foster are both on the JFL board and see a lot of moms let their sons play football for the first time, and also see that many have become hesitant because of concussion concerns.

“Mom’s are scared to let their kids play football,” Foster said. “We wanted to put their minds at ease about football, and let them know the benefits of playing.”

But Adkins also wanted them to see a little of what their sons go through on a hot day on the field.

“A lot of us were talking, and it really gave us a great appreciation to know how much hard work they go through,” Marfell said. “We’re out here in T-shirts and shorts and they’re in their full pads and out here for a couple hours.”